The Rolling Stones’ connection to Jamaican rum dates back to 1972, when the band recorded Goats Head Soup in Jamaica. Decades later, in 2023, they launched Crossfire Hurricane rum, initially made from blends sourced in Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic.

This year, the brand was relaunched with London-based Kite Drinks. Its Gold and Reserve expressions now focus exclusively on Jamaican rum, blended by Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell. The spirits come from four of Jamaica’s six recognized operating distilleries: Hampden Estate, Long Pond, Worthy Park and Clarendon.

Burrell says Jamaican rum has personal significance for him, rooted in his family heritage. He was also drawn to the country’s distinctive production traditions, which can include long fermentation and the use of dunder, sugar-cane vinegar and “muck”—an acidic, microbe-rich material. These practices help create esters that give Jamaican rum its bold, fruity and often funky character.

Jamaica once had more than 100 rum distilleries. Economic pressures, consolidation and closures reduced that number to six. Production is protected by a Geographical Indication, with rules governing where rum is made, its ingredients and production methods, and how it is aged. Jamaican rums nevertheless span a wide range, from high-ester pot-still spirits to lighter styles.

The remaining distilleries each have their own character:

• Hampden Estate, in the northwest, is known for traditional pot-still rum and long fermentation, producing expressive, high-ester spirits.
• Long Pond makes aromatic, powerful pot-still rums with rich, fruity notes.
• Worthy Park grows its own sugar cane and produces rum on its estate. Its pot-still spirits are known for tropical fruit, banana and spice.
• Clarendon Distillers, also associated with Monymusk, uses both pot and column stills to produce lighter and fuller-bodied styles.
• Appleton Estate is renowned for aged rum, with fruit, spice and oak notes.
• New Yarmouth produces a range of styles and contributes to Jamaican blends and overproof rums, including Wray & Nephew White Overproof.

Crossfire Hurricane Gold combines fresh pot-still rum, softer column-distilled rum and a small amount of aged, high-ester rum. Reserve builds on that blend with older pot-still spirits, adding depth and a longer finish.

For visitors to Jamaica, Burrell recommends skipping the formal tasting room and stopping at local rum shops, roadside shacks and bars. Many are family-run gathering places where residents share stories, play dominoes and catch up.

He suggests pairing rum with salt fish and ackee—or, for a more adventurous meal, mannish water, a goat soup. The latter makes a fitting nod to the Stones’ Goats Head Soup.

The new Crossfire Hurricane blends are available through the brand’s official site.